The present invention relates generally to a car seat for infants and toddlers and, more particularly, to a car seat for infants and toddlers which is convertible into a stroller and vice versa.
Car seats which convert into strollers, and vice versa, are generally known in the art. These convertible car seats typically have a retractable wheel assembly comprising four wheels which can be retracted so that the stroller converts into a car seat which can be secured to the fixed car seats of an automobile. In order to convert this type of car seat into a stroller, the seat is unfastened from the fixed car seat of the automobile and the wheel assembly is deployed so that the car seat functions as a baby stroller when the wheels are deployed. One disadvantage of the typical car seat which converts into a stroller, and vice versa, is that the wheel assembly usually adds a relatively large amount of weight to the seat thereby rendering the seat somewhat unwieldy and difficult to attach it to and remove it from the fixed car seat of the automobile. The weight of the wheel assembly is generally attributable to the fact that the wheel assembly comprises four wheels and associated hardware.
Batten, U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,393, issued Jan. 21, 1997, discloses an infant car seat stroller which can be converted from a car seat into a stroller, and vice versa. This patent discloses that the car seat comprises a first set of wheels which are attached to a flat bar bracket which, in turn, is affixed to a bottom portion of the seat. The patent discloses that the seat includes a retractable pivoting support on the bottom thereof which is modified by drilling a hole through it and by inserting an axle on which a secondary set of wheels is mounted. This allows the second set of wheels to be retracted so that only the first set of wheels is utilized.
This secondary set of wheels disclosed by Batten corresponds to the back wheels of the car seat. This secondary set of wheels can be retracted to allow the car seat stroller to be pulled across the ground using only the front wheels. One of the primary disadvantages of this design is that it only allows the stroller to be pulled in a rearward direction because pushing the stroller with only front wheels would be very awkward and impractical. This design also requires that the user bear most of the weight of the unit and the infant or toddler while lifting up on the handle since there are no wheels to provide vertical support in the two-wheel drive mode. Also, it appears from the text of this patent that the design is only intended to be used with infants, which typically corresponds to children under the weight of 20 lbs.
Accordingly, a need exists for a car seat which is convertible into a stroller, and vice versa, which overcomes the weight disadvantages of the four-wheel convertible car seat strollers by utilizing only two wheels, and which overcomes the disadvantages of the known two-wheel strollers associated with the lack of vertical support for the unit and child when the stroller utilizes only two wheels.
The present invention provides a car seat stroller assembly which can be converted from a child car seat into a child stroller, and vice versa. The car seat stroller assembly comprises a child car seat which can be removably secured to a fixed car seat of an automobile, a wheel assembly secured to the seat body at a location near the rear end of the bottom portion of the seat body, and a handle assembly secured to the seat body at a location along the back portion of the seat body.
The car seat stroller assembly preferably consists of two wheels which are rotatably mounted to an axle of the wheel assembly. The wheel assembly can be placed in a retracted position to enable a user to secure the car seat stroller assembly to the fixed car seat of the automobile, or in an extended position in which the wheels extend below the bottom portion of the seat body to enable the car seat stroller assembly to be operated as a child stroller.
In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, the car seat stroller assembly utilizes a child car seat which is currently available on the market. The child car seat is retrofitted with the wheel and handle assemblies of the present invention. One child car seat which is suitable for this purpose is sold by Century Products Company. This seat body of the child car seat is retrofitted by attaching the wheel assembly to a protruding portion of the seat body. This protruding portion, which is known as the xe2x80x9cPosilockxe2x80x9d feature of the car seat, protrudes from the seat body at a location near the rear end of the bottom portion of the seat body and near the bottom end of the back portion of the seat body.
The protruding portion of the child car seat is secured to the seat body in a hinging relationship to allow the protruding portion to be retracted and extended. In the extended position, the protruding portion is normally inserted in between the back and bottom cushions of a fixed automobile car seat to assist in securing the child car seat in place in the automobile. The protruding portion can be retracted to allow a user, e.g., a parent, to easily handle the child car seat when it is being removed from and inserted into the automobile. By attaching the wheel assembly to this existing feature on the car seat, the wheel assembly can be easily extended and retracted by extending and retracting the protruding portion of the child car seat.
Preferably, the front end of the bottom portion of the seat body has a braking mechanism thereon which substantially prevents the car seat stroller assembly from moving when the braking mechanism is in contact with the floor or the ground.
In accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, the wheel assembly can be suitably attached to any child car seat, including, but not limited to the above-mentioned Century Products Company child car seat. In accordance with this embodiment, the wheel assembly comprises two side members which are transverse to the axle of the wheel assembly. Each side member has a first end, a second end, a first side and a second side. The first ends of the side members are attached to the axle of the wheel assembly.
In accordance with this embodiment, when the wheel assembly is placed in the extended position, a first notch formed in each of the second ends of the side members engages a respective pin secured to sides of the seat body. This prevents the wheel assembly from movement in a direction toward the wheels and in a direction away from the bottom end of the back portion. When the wheel assembly is placed in the retracted position, a notch formed in each of the first sides of the side members engages those same pins. This prevents the wheel assembly from movement in a direction away from the back portion of the seat body.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, which is the preferred embodiment for the wheel and handle assemblies, the handle assembly is linked to the wheel assembly by a linkage in such a way that when the handle assembly is extended, the wheel assembly is extended until the pins secured to the sides of the seat body are engaged in the first notches formed in the ends of the side members. When a user lifts the seat body in an upwards direction away from the wheels, the pins are removed from the notches formed in the ends of the side members. When the handle assembly is retracted, the linkage causes the wheel assembly to be retracted until the pins are engaged in the notches formed in the sides of the side members.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, drawings and claims.